Little House on the Prairie

Little House on the Prairie - August 2009

August 22, 2009

Today was the second day of our trip. It was an amazing day. We started the day by crossing back into Illinois to visit the John Deere Visitor's center. Unfortunately their literature was wrong, they didn't open until 10am on the weekend. So we took a few pictures outside and continued on our trip. Our next stop was at the "Field of Dreams" Movie set in Dyersville, Iowa.

Once we reached the Field of Dreams, we got our baseball and gloves out for a little Catch. Donald and I played catch in the outfield and then took turns pitching and catching. We then ran the bases and finally went into the corn, but didn't hear any voices :) I talked to the owner for a few minutes and Naomi played with his dogs. It was a very interesting stop.

Next, we continued on across the Mississippi again and onto the House on the Rock. We checked in and headed for the house. It was so much more than I expected and unfortunately because of poor lighting, many of our pictures didn't come out or aren't very good. I have seen allot of attractions in my time, but this was simply amazing. The structure itself is extremely interesting and the collection of oddities is incredible. It is something everyone should see at least once in their life. It is also some place that you could visit over and over and never see the same thing again.

We spend 5 hours at the House and could have spent another 5 hours their and not seen half of what was there. When I was flipping through the pictures Naomi took, I didn't remember half the things she had pictures of. The collection was huge and varied from Dolls to Guns to Armored Suits to Car to Bicycles to Whales to Jewelry and so much more. I think my favorite was the full size Carousel. I believe there were 7 rows on animals across the ride and not a single horse. If you stared directly at the center without moving, it felt like the ride stopped and you were moving. You could also see the individual animals much clearer. I believe there were 280 animals on the ride.

After we left, we checked into our room at the House on the Rock Inn, went for dinner and then came back to go to the pool. The pool here was great for Donny, it had a submarine in the middle with a couple of slides. Naomi and I sat in the hot tub and let him play for over and hour before we turned in for the night. Well sort of, it is almost 2am and we get up at 6am to start tomorrow. I think Naomi will be driving in the morning :)

We crossed the Mississippi river 3 more times today, for a total of 5 so far.

Home Road Trips Little House Trip Days: Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Summary

Corn!!!!

Corn everywhere

As far as the eye can see, Corn!!

yes, more corn

Mitch at the entrance

House, used inside and out for the movie

movie information sign

playing on the field

catcher

pitcher

catching

pitching

running the bases

home plate

Mitch emerging from the corn field

looking into the corn field

Corn, what a surprise!!

view of house from the corn field

owners dogs

Don L

owner, nice guy

close up look at soybean

soybeans, the only other crop we have seen for days

soybean field

Mississippi River

Giant M on mountain, no idea what it is for, but thought it was worthy of a picture

House on the Rock

Living room

Living room fireplace

Kitchen

View of gardens from the main house

this room has no supports

This is as far as you can walk

view looking straight down

room sure does bounce allot

giant fireplace puffer

just one many piano's

Lots of beautiful stain glass

view from the roof

roof of infinity room as seen for the roof

peacock sculpture

fireplace puffer table

music box

dolls

Faberge Eggs!!

everyone should own at least one :)

this is the one I want!!!

more dolls

Whale!! This thing is huge and it is inside

really big teeth

Jonah's boat in the whales mouth

I LOVE Mardi Gras Masks

picture just for Mitch

old pick up with heart tub in the bed of truck

This is for Jason, my Carter the Great!

Amazing Carousel.

sadly the pictures didn't turn out good

giant light in organ room

one of so many organs in the organ room

sled

organ pipes

discussing early automatic weapons

Ladies room

still in the ladies room

sinks in the ladies room

men's room

men's room

inspiration point

not looking too inspired

looking down at inspiration point

Infinite Room as seen from Inspiration Point

one of two doll carousels

doll house

lots of doll houses

circus area of the house

millions of miniature circus scenes

all these things moved and played instruments

Crowned Jewels Room

no idea if this stuff is real

scale replica of Buckingham Palace

doll carousel

life is great, when you can combine dolls and carousels

Now to convince Mitch that we can't live without a doll carousel

doll carousel

Tea Party

carousel horses hanging on the walls

I could watch this thing all day

beautiful

Donny's favorite on the carousel

giant drum, hanging on the ceiling, play by itself

Mitch and Donny in the Gardens

Parked on the side of the road in front of The Don Q Inn

Be very afraid if you see them in the cockpit

inside the plane

Mitch

Donny

Farrah Fawcets signature. Someone painted over it. She filmed a car commercial here, during her Charlie's Angels days.

water wheel at House on the Rock

Doll carousel

Aviation room

the parking lot

the entry road

entrance

infinity room

as seen from down the road

pool at the hotel

Donny having fun

some people don't like to have their picture taken!!

Home Road Trips Little House Trip Days: Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Summary




			Corn!!!!
Corn everywhere	As far as the eye can see, Corn!!	yes, more corn
Mitch at the entrance		House, used inside and out for the movie	movie information sign

playing on the field
catcher			pitcher
catching	pitching		running the bases
			home plate
	Mitch emerging from the corn field	looking into the corn field	Corn, what a surprise!!

	view of house from the corn field

		owners dogs
	Don L	owner, nice guy
close up look at soybean	soybeans, the only other crop we have seen for days		soybean field

Mississippi River		Giant M on mountain, no idea what it is for, but thought it was worthy of a picture
House on the Rock
	Living room	Living room fireplace
	Kitchen		View of gardens from the main house


this room has no supports	This is as far as you can walk	view looking straight down	room sure does bounce allot
	giant fireplace puffer	just one many piano's

			Lots of beautiful stain glass
			view from the roof
	roof of infinity room as seen for the roof
peacock sculpture
		fireplace puffer table	music box
			dolls

		Faberge Eggs!!	everyone should own at least one :)
this is the one I want!!!	more dolls






	Whale!! This thing is huge and it is inside		really big teeth


			Jonah's boat in the whales mouth

		I LOVE Mardi Gras Masks
picture just for Mitch			old pick up with heart tub in the bed of truck



This is for Jason, my Carter the Great!

			Amazing Carousel.
sadly the pictures didn't turn out good


		giant light in organ room
			one of so many organs in the organ room
		sled	organ pipes
		discussing early automatic weapons	Ladies room
		still in the ladies room	sinks in the ladies room
men's room	men's room	inspiration point
not looking too inspired	looking down at inspiration point		Infinite Room as seen from Inspiration Point

one of two doll carousels		doll house
	lots of doll houses
circus area of the house	millions of miniature circus scenes





			all these things moved and played instruments


	Crowned Jewels Room	no idea if this stuff is real

scale replica of Buckingham Palace			doll carousel


life is great, when you can combine dolls and carousels	Now to convince Mitch that we can't live without a doll carousel
			doll carousel
			Tea Party
carousel horses hanging on the walls
	I could watch this thing all day	beautiful
		Donny's favorite on the carousel
	giant drum, hanging on the ceiling, play by itself
	Mitch and Donny in the Gardens



		Parked on the side of the road in front of The Don Q Inn	Be very afraid if you see them in the cockpit
inside the plane	Mitch	Donny
			Farrah Fawcets signature. Someone painted over it. She filmed a car commercial here, during her Charlie's Angels days.
	water wheel at House on the Rock


	Doll carousel
Aviation room
			the parking lot
the entry road

entrance		infinity room	as seen from down the road
			pool at the hotel
			Donny having fun

	some people don't like to have their picture taken!!